UNCLAIMED BENEFITS

Early day motion 1596, tabled 9 July 2002 by Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 72 members.

That this House notes that at least ú1.8 billion of income related benefits go unclaimed by pensioners each year and that up to 750,000 pensioners could be entitled to an additional payment of, on average, ú22 per week, that pensioners who were ineligible last year may be eligible now following the benefits upratings, and that half the older population on low incomes see their enjoyment of a full and active life circumscribed by their lack of income; welcomes the Can You Claim It? information pamphlet from Help the Aged and British Gas, who are working in partnership to make the lives of older people across Britain, warmer, less isolated and more secure; and calls on the Government to set performance targets for benefit take-up and implement programmes to reach these targets, reporting annually to Parliament, as a matter of urgency.

Signatures by party: Labour 32, Liberal Democrat 27, Labour/Co-operative 3, Plaid Cymru 3, UUP 3, DUP 2, Conservative 1, Scottish National Party 1.